Installing a device driver on a computer running Windows isn't difficult, but locating the appropriate device driver can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some techniques you can use to track down a device driver.

Download this free guide

Download Our 25-Page Guide: How to Overcome Windows 10 Hurdles

After upgrading to Windows 10, many IT departments run into challenges with the new OS. Access our comprehensive guide on how to solve the most common Windows 10 problems.

By submitting my Email address I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Declaration of Consent.

By submitting your personal information, you agree that TechTarget and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content, products and special offers.

You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

Know what you are looking forThe single best piece of advice I can give you is to take the time to positively identify the device for which the driver is required. Windows is often unable to identify a piece of hardware, so it will be up to you to know the make and model of the component that you need the device driver for.

More importantly, Windows occasionally incorrectly identifies device drivers. When this happens, Windows will typically install what it thinks is the right device driver for the device. Depending on how similar the component is to the component Windows has mistaken it for, the device may not work at all, it may work intermittently, or it may work with reduced functionality. For example, I once saw Windows misidentify a disk controller. The controller worked, even with the wrong driver, but it didn't perform as well as it should have.

So how can you identify a hardware device? If you are working with a desktop computer, all you have to do is to open the computer's case, locate the device in question, and make note of its make and model.

If you are working with a laptop, then identifying the device in question may not be so simple. You can't usually open the case to identify the device because many devices are integrated onto the laptop's system drive. Instead, download the drivers from the manufacturer's website. Keep in mind that this method may require some trial and error.

Some laptop manufacturers are notorious for being inconsistent with the hardware they use. For instance, I recently had to download some network interface card (NIC) drivers for a laptop. When I looked up the laptop's specs on the manufacturer's website, I found that the laptop could have been equipped with any one of five different NICs. As a result, I had to download the drivers for all five and see which one worked.

Pay attention to Windows editionsAs you search for drivers on the Internet, pay attention to which edition of Windows a particular driver is designed for -- although sometimes you might get lucky and be able to use a driver on a version of Windows for which it was never intended. For instance, I have lost count of the number of times that I have used Windows XP drivers on systems that were running Windows Server 2003. Likewise, some device drivers are specifically designed to be compatible with multiple versions of Windows. More often, however, you will find that the stated version of Windows does make a difference.

For example, Windows 7 was built on the Windows Vista kernel. Vista drivers should theoretically work with Windows 7, but when I upgraded my own desktop, I found that I was unable to use my Vista sound card driver. I had to go without sound until the manufacturer eventually released a Windows 7 version of the driver.

What do I need?All of the techniques above assume that you have at least a general idea of what type of device you need a driver for (such as NIC, sound card or video devices). But occasionally you may have no idea what you need. For example, Figure 1 shows an instance in which Windows displays an unknown device in the device manager. My computer seems to be working fine, so I have no idea offhand what is missing.

As you can see in Figure 2, opening the device's properties sheet seems to be of little help.

Figure 2: The General tab is of no help. (Click to enlarge).

However, the Details tab, shown in Figure 3, provides some potentially useful information.

Figure 3: The Details tab gives you some clues. (Click to enlarge.)

This information is helpful because how plug and play works. Each manufacturer of plug-and-play hardware is assigned a unique, three-character identification. The manufacturer also creates a unique device ID number for each device that it creates. In Figure 3, the manufacturer ID is "AWY," and the device ID is "0001." This information can be used to find out what the device is and ultimately, which driver we need.

In my particular case, I was able to do an Internet search on "AWY0001" and determine that the missing driver was for my computer's system board. Once I knew that, I was able to go to the system board manufacturer's website and download the missing driver.

Tracking down missing device drivers isn't exactly rocket science, but sometimes it is impossible to find device drivers for legacy hardware that work with modern versions of Windows.

ABOUT THE AUTHORBrien M. Posey, MCSE, has received Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional Award seven times for his work with Windows Server, IIS and Exchange Server. He has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and health care facilities and was once a network administrator for Fort Knox. You can visit his personal website atwww.brienposey.com.

0 comments

Register

Login

Forgot your password?

Your password has been sent to:

By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy